How to save on your winter electricity bill now that we’re home all the time

With most of us spending a lot more time at home than usual, we’re likely to be staring down a higher electricity bill than usual. But add Canberra’s unforgiving winter to the mix, and it could add up to some scary isolation electricity bills. Here are some tips on how to save on your energy bill during Canberra’s winter, without shivering through it:

Turn down the heater

With ANZAC Day now behind us, you’re well and truly allowed to turn that heater on with no guilt, but just keep in mind that heating your property can be one of the biggest uses of energy. To keep your energy usage down, watch your temperature. The sweet spot is to try and keep it set somewhere between 18-20 degrees, which will still keep you nice and toasty, and every degree you lower that thermostat will also further reduce your heating bill. Also make sure you only heat the spaces you’re using, and seal any gaps around doors and windows to keep the warmth in and the chill out.

Watch the hot water

Whether it’s a frosty morning or a chilly evening, when the temperature plummets it gets harder and harder to drag yourself out of a hot shower, but the hot water can significantly add to your energy bill. Make sure you’ve got a water efficient shower head, and try not to keep the showers on the shorter end of the spectrum. Another way to reduce your hot water usage is to wash your clothes in cold water. In many cases, it’s actually better for your clothes, and it sure beats facing a cold shower yourself.

High and dry

One of the other biggest users of energy in the home are clothes dryers. The combination of shorter days, icy air and frosty mornings can make it a lot harder to avoid using your dryer altogether, but there are still things you can do to decrease how long you need to use it. Try and partially dry your clothes and just use the dryer to finish them off, which will drastically cut down your usage time. Adding something that’s already dry to a load, like a small towel, can also significantly decrease your drying time.

Oven baked

Have you managed to actually get your hands on some flour and are jumping on the bandwagon of iso baking? Once you’ve turned the oven off, leave the door open and it’ll help warm the space. It might sound silly, but it works, and it uses no additional energy at all.

Seal it in

If some of your windows manage to capture the sun during those gorgeous winter blue sky days, make sure you make the most of it. The sun is after all the cheapest heater there is. Open your blinds and curtains when the sun is shining in, and it’ll help warm inside the home. Once the sun goes down, close them all to help seal it in, and enjoy that free, toasty warmth.

Power down

If you’re working from home and the kids are schooling from home for the time being, don’t forget about all those extra devices you’re powering. Switch everything off when it’s not in use - for an even bigger saving, switch it off at the wall - and don’t leave laptops, phones or other devices attached to chargers. Just charge everything as you need. Let’s face it, it’s not like you’re going anywhere, so that charger will still be close by when you need it.